Week 32

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  Last week was quite a week.  We were super busy with dr and dentist appointments, getting an estimate on a roof repair, a booster meeting, a work event that kept John at work later than normal, and a dog that decided she was determined to escape her dog run pretty much everyday of the week even if it meant hurting herself.  Plus we still hadn't replaced our TV so there was no end-of-day unwinding mindlessly in front of the tube.  At least it all ended on a good note with a peaceful camping trip to a foothill lake.

Take a look at how it all went down:

Day 214- Monday, 8/1/16

Happy August!  I'm so not ready for August. Here is the monthly marker next to these pretty flowers that match my top.  I'm so glad I have some nice colorful plants that can still take the hot, hot heat and continue to thrive.  Trust me, they are not all that way.  We have lost another tree and at least a few plants out back because of the extreme heat.  Once it's cooler we'll replant with more resilient options.

Day 215- Tuesday, 8/2/16

This is how Justin relaxes after tennis.  I'm not sure how that's comfortable but he's usually always playing in this position.  Later I took him and Tyler to the dr for sport physicals and that ended up lasting way longer than any of us expected, but it's done and that's all that matters.

Day 216- Wednesday, 8/3/16

Our TV will be too costly to repair and we haven't had time to get another one yet so at least I have the new Harry Potter book to keep me entertained.  It's a pretty short read though so I'm almost done.   Meanwhile, Brandon built one of his birthday Lego sets.  He's my architectural guy and loves these sets.  It also came with all kinds of cool facts related to the Eiffel Tower and how it was built which Brandon kindly shared with me ;0)  It's fun to watch him when he's really interesting in something.

Day 217- Thursday, 8/4/16
I'm working hard in the lab running horse samples and samples from Hawaiian monk seals for different projects, and while I was at work our lovely dog who has been breaking free of her dog run all week decided to take it up a notch and really destroy her pen.  Ugh!  We just can't keep her in and we have a camping trip coming up so we're a little stressed about how to figure this out.  Plus she keeps hurting herself trying to escape and is quite tender on the underside.  You can see her red flank there as she rests in pain.  Crazy dog!  This system has worked for 7 years with no problems and now all of a sudden she's over it.  I'm pretty sure it has a lot to do with us leaving her for so long during our recent LA trip, and I get that, but she's got to settle down.

Day 218- Friday, 8/5/16

So we managed to find a quick fix for the dog and were able to escape to the foothills for a camping trip with friends at Rollins Lake.  Both John and I worked in the morning, Justin went to tennis, Brandon went to day camp and then a dentist appointment before we could finally leave.  We got there just in time to set up camp and grill some dinner.  The boys were a great help pitching tents and were eager to settle into their new home for the next 2 nights.

Day 219- Saturday, 8/6/16

Today we spent the day around the lake with our friends. Tyler and I also took a canoe out to explore a bit.  It's a little hot during the day and pretty darn cold at night but still a lot of fun creating new memories and enjoying each others company.  No news from the pet sitter either so the dog must be ok.

Day 220- Sunday, 8/7/16

We're packing up and heading home.  It's always a puzzle getting the car repacked but we did it in record time and were home before lunch.  Bella was of course happy to see us and full of energy.  She's had time to heal and you can tell is not in as much pain with no new injuries. Now we need to work on a permanent fix for her run. Before that though it's time to pick up a new TV.  John pretty much took off right after we returned to find one and got it all set up just in time for us to watch prime time Olympics. Go USA!

Wait!  One more:

August's Family Photo

This is taken a little earlier on in the month than normal but in a great location so we had to seize the opportunity especially since school is starting soon so family time will become a lot less interesting and fun.  Thanks Loren for taking our picture ;0)

Now we're done.  See you all next week.